Man who reportedly demanded 'all Jews raise their hands' on a Delta flight arrested upon landing

Law-enforcement officers arrested a man who was said to have demanded that "all Jews raise their hands" on a Delta Air Lines flight to Atlanta from Washington, DC, on Wednesday.
Jordan Dale/Twitter

A man demanded that all Jewish passengers on his Delta Air Lines flight on Wednesday "raise their hands" so he could identify them, a fellow passenger said.

The incident took place on a flight to Atlanta from Washington, DC. The police identified the man as David Toaff.

He was arrested and taken to jail upon landing.

Video footage showed a man appearing to resist arrest and shouting "I'm not a bad person."

A man was arrested Wednesday after a rant on a Delta Air Lines flight that one witness said included a demand that "all Jews raise their hands" so he could identify them.

The man, identified as David Toaff, 37, shouted the remarks at fellow passengers on a flight to Atlanta from Washington, DC, on Wednesday, the Atlanta police told USA Today.

"Today a man on my plane went on an anti-Semitic tirade and demanded 'all Jews raise their hands' so he could 'indentify them,'" Jordan Dale, a passenger and production assistant at The Hill, tweeted.

Atlanta Police told Business Insider in a statement: "A male was yelling, asking Jewish people on board to identify themselves and making remarks about bombings to passengers aboard the aircraft. Some passengers told police they interpreted the remarks as being anti-Semitic."

It's not clear what the "remarks about bombings" were. Atlanta Police did not respond to Business Insider's request for comment. Business Insider has also contacted Delta Air Lines for comment.

Law-enforcement officers arrested Toaff upon landing in Atlanta. A video posted by Dale at the arrival gate shows a man yelling "I'm not a bad person" and trying to break free from the police.

The Times of Israel reported that the man in the video appeared to be wearing a tallit, or a Jewish prayer shawl.

Toaff said he lived in Washington, DC, and "people know who I am."

He was ultimately charged with obstruction and disorderly conduct and taken to Clayton County Jail, police said.